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Why we like them: Everyone should own at least a couple of sets of soft, breathable cotton sheets, and L.L.Bean’s 280-Thread-Count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets and JCPenney’s sateen Royal Velvet 400 TC WrinkleGuard Sheet Set have been our favorites for four years running (read more in our guide to the best cotton sheets). They feel nicer than sets twice the price and wear exceptionally well. L.L.Bean’s percale set feels cool and crisp, reminiscent of boutique hotel bedding, making it ideal for warmer temperatures. The Royal Velvet sateen set has a silkier, heavier texture that makes it a little warmer; the sheets are nearly wrinkle-free and come in a California king. We think both sets make a solid base layer for dressing your bed year-round.

The L.L.Bean sheets wrinkle a little more than our sateen picks but no more than any of the other top-ranking percale sets we tried. Photo: Michael Hession

Photo: Michael Hession

The embroidered hem finish on the Royal Velvet sheets is nearly identical to that on the more expensive Cuddledown sheets. The detail adds to the luxurious feel of these sheets. Photo: Michael Hession

Photo: Michael Hession

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Flaws but not dealbreakers: Some people find L.L.Bean’s percale set rough. But all percale feels a little textured; if you prefer super-smooth fabric, get a sateen set. The only minor complaint we have about JCPenney’s Royal Velvet sheets is that we noticed some mild static cling when folding them.

Why we like them: Many of the cheaper sets we tested for our cotton sheets guide felt scratchy or cheap, but not the Threshold Performance 400 Thread Count Sheet Set. The Threshold Performance sheets aren’t quite as nice as our favorite percale and sateen sets, but in our tests they performed better than sets four times the price. Because they’re made of sateen, the fabric is very smooth with a nice drape. We particularly recommend them for cool temperatures, or if you’re partial to very soft fabrics.

The Threshold Performance set has a nice three-layered edging detail on the hem of the pillowcases and the flat sheet. Photo: Michael Hession

These sheets drape as nicely as sets four times the price, and feel soft and durable. Photo: Michael Hession

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Flaws but not dealbreakers: Pet hair, lint, and other fibers tend to stick to the fabric, but the sheets clean up nicely.

Why we like them: If you prefer the feel of flannel, we don’t think you can beat the performance and price of L.L.Bean’s Ultrasoft Comfort Flannel Sheet Set. Of the 10 sets we tried for our guide to the best flannel sheets, the L.L.Bean set ranked among the plushest while never feeling clingy. These sheets are expensive, but that’s because they’re made of high-quality long-staple cotton, which means they should last you many years if you care for them properly. Some Wirecutter staffers have used these sheets for years and rave about them.

The L.L.Bean Ultrasoft flannel sheets have a soft, plush texture, but they don't cling to the skin like some other flannel sheets. Photo: Michael Hession

The seams are securely stitched, which we think will help these sheets stand up to years of use and washing. Photo: Michael Hession

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Flaws but not dealbreakers: In our tests, these sheets shed more lint than other sets. We suspect they will become less plush over time, but that probably won’t happen until after many years of use.

Why we like them: We didn’t find a perfect set of linen sheets (many suffer durability issues), but for their softness and wide range of colors and prints, we recommend Cultiver Linen Sheets. As we cover in our guide to the best linen sheets, this fabric tends to be slightly scratchy, but the Cultiver set was softer than others we tried. This set also receives fewer owner reviews complaining about wearing thin. If you’d like to feel the fabric before you purchase, you can order swatches in any color.

Cultiver’s fabric was in the midrange for weight/thickness. It’s thin enough to see a hand through the fabric, but feels more substantial than the West Elm or Pottery Barn linen sets. Photo: Rozette Rago

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Flaws but not dealbreakers: Like any linen sheets, these wrinkle very easily (although not worse than other sets we tried). If you hate the look of wrinkled or crumpled bedding, you may not like these. Cultiver’s sizing is more limited than other brands’. And Cultiver also doesn’t offer a warranty and its return policy is pretty standard; the company will accept only unused, unwashed, and unmarked sheets within 30 days of you receiving them.

Why we like them: If you’re looking for twin XL sheets for a dorm room, the Wamsutta 400 Thread Count Sateen Sheets are good enough (and cheap enough) for a few semesters. They’re not as soft as our other favorite percale and sateen sets, but that probably won’t bother most college students. In our testing for our guide to the best twin XL sheets for your dorm room, we found the Wamsutta sheets softer than other twin XL sets; they come in better colors too. And because they’re made of 100 percent cotton, they’ll breathe better than the cotton-polyester sheets commonly found in college linen packages.

The Wamsutta set feels soft and slightly silky, with a heavy drape, and it’s made of 100 percent cotton. Photo: Michael Hession

Flaws but not dealbreakers: Like other sateen sets, these sheets are more likely to pick up lint, hair, and crumbs from late-night snacks. Just wash them frequently.

Bamboo and microfiber sheets

We’re commonly asked about sheets made from bamboo (viscose rayon), microfiber, and other alternative fibers. After spending 13 hours researching the many different types of alternative sheeting fabrics, we think most people are better off sticking with cotton or linen. Bamboo viscose can feel very soft against the skin, but it’s produced with a solvent that can cause air and water pollution (and cause serious health problems for factory workers). Microfiber sheets tend to be pretty affordable, but washing that fabric contributes to polluting lakes and oceans with synthetic threads. Lyocell, another type of rayon often branded as Tencel, seems promising because it’s less environmentally impactful, but sheets made from that fiber tend to be more expensive than cotton. In the end, all our experts recommended sheets made from cotton or linen anyway, so we’ve decided to pass on testing these other sheeting fabrics.

Organic cotton sheets

If you’re committed to organic growing practices, seeking out organic cotton sheets can be worthwhile. Keep in mind, though, that organic cotton won’t necessarily make a better sheet (we explain more about this topic in our sheets buying guide). We’ve tested some organic cotton sheets, but none of them beat our favorite sets.